Warriors and Rewards
by LGH
Summary: Sequel to The Escape. In the aftermath of Keenan's death, Buffy and Angel are closer than ever but when they receive a visit from the Oracles, life may take a turn for the better or a turn for the worst. Review x
1. Gravestone's and Rose's

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Warriors and Rewards – Chapter 1

Author's Note – Hiya Guys, this is the sequel to The Escape and I am so exited to be writing this. It felt so weird when I finally finished The Escape. It was the first Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fanfic I ever wrote.

Oh yeah the date The Escape and Warriors and Rewards is 1997.

Thank you to everyone who read The Escape and is now reading this.

Please Review!

Huggins and Love,

Little Glass Heart x

It had been a month since Keenan had died and Buffy had put the rape behind her. She had told Angel everything and loved him with all her heart. People always questioned their future, as Angel didn't age but whenever Buffy looked into the future all she saw was Angel. She couldn't see herself with anyone else ever, didn't want to be with anyone else.

She and Angel spent every possible moment together; slaying, homework and Buffy spent pretty much every night with him. They would lay in bed and talk, kiss, cuddle but because of the gypsy curse they could not do what they wanted more than anything, make love to each other.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

7.20pm Monday 8th May 1997

Buffy walked into the cemetery slowly, the flowers in her hand blew gently in the breeze. The Gravestone was white with golden letters on,

Shana Marie Williams

8th May 1983 – 12th January 1997

When you left and said farewell,

We did not think that it would be forever.

Laying the roses gently on the grave, she thought of her friend, the kind enthusiastic girl, who would do anything for anyone.

This was the first time she had been here. The day of Shana's funeral had been too much to bear, she had spent most of the day in Angel's arms, he had been her rock that day, and she didn't think she would have gotten through it without him.

"It's weird to think that it's been nearly 4 months, 4 months were you haven't been there. Angel and I made Keenan pay, it was in the paper that he was missing, but nobody cares, not even his friends. So many people in Sunnydale suffered because of him, that's why not many people care, because he was the one who ordered a death or sold the drugs to a person, he was the one who destroyed the lives of the people and there family's. He deserved to die.

I wish you hadn't died; you and Errol were good together.

I still see him, he looks, I don't really know, tired is all I can think. He was so upset after you died, sometimes even now, when a door opens and someone who looks a bit like you enters, his eyes fill with hope only to remember that you're gone.

I love you, Shana; you are one of the greatest friends I ever

Her voice broke had. Happy 15th Birthday"

As she uttered the last sentence a sob ripped from her chest and was followed by many more. Lying down on the grass next to the gravestone, she let out a cry of pain and jerked up again, looking at her arm, a deep gash, which was pouring blood made her gasp. When she had laid on the floor her arm had caught the roses thorns. Buffy didn't care anymore so she closed her eyes and let her emotions take over.

Buffy didn't know how long she had lain there, sobbing but it had been awhile. The sky had darkened around her, the sun had set night had fallen. Vampires roamed the cemetery but at that moment Buffy didn't care if she was killed, which in the state her arm was in was likely, the blood would surely attract vampires, in a way she hoped it would, in a way she wanted to die.

A pair of arms suddenly lifted her up, placing her on a nearby tomb. Opening her bloodshot eyes, a pair of anxious brown ones looked into her own.

"How did you find me?"

Angel quickly ripped a piece out of his shirt and gently wrapped it around Buffy's still bleeding arm.

"I came looking for you; I smelled the blood and followed it"

"Why is life so unfair?"

Stroking her face tenderly with his hand, Angel frowned.

"How do you mean?"

"Why did Keenan pick me to rape, why did Shana have to die? Why do you have to be a vampire why can't you be human? Why did I have to be the chosen one? The slayer?"

Buffy whole face twisted in pain. Gently Angel pulled her off the tomb and into his arms again. Holding her tightly, he slid down the side of the tomb until he was sitting with his back to it, Buffy in his lap, her face buried into his neck.

"Why does nothing good ever happen to me? And when it does there's always a twist. For example, you are the most amazing part of my life, probably one of the best things that ever happened to me, the only good thing to happen to me."

"But I'm a vampire"

"I wish we were a normal couple. We save the Earth all the time and nobody even knows about it. We have to put pour lives on the line for them and what do they do! Nothing, just pretend it never happened"

Holding her closer, Angel gently nuzzled her face before kissing her gently on the lips, they stayed like that for a long time until she fell asleep. Angel carried her to the mansion, were he gently placed her under the covers and held her close with no intention of ever letting her go.

The Oracles looked down on the young couple.

"Brother, we have to do something"

"You know what the Powers that Be said, sister, be patient, we can't intervene, yet"


	2. Shanshu Prophecy Revealed

**Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Warriors and Rewards – Chapter 2**

Author's Note – Hiya Guys, I am so sorry about not updating for ages, I am going into Year 10 next year so I was having loads of preparation exams and lessons but now it's the summer I can write whenever I want.

Hope you enjoy this chapter, more will be on the way very soon.

Huggins and Love,

Little Glass Heart x

Buffy woke slowly, her small hand reaching out and clutching Angel's shirt. She was warm, a lot warmer than she had been the last time she was awake. Opening her eyes, the room was dark, but outside Buffy guessed it was daytime. Looking down at her arm, she pulled the makeshift bandage away and winced slightly as she saw the massive gash along her arm.

Looking at Angel, his face peaceful, she kissed his cheek before getting up and walking into the study were she opened the medical drawer.

Pulling out a bandage, she sat down on the arm of the armchair and attempted to place it around her throbbing wound.

It fell off again a few moments later, the position of the cut, making it extremely difficult to place the bandage fully around it.

"You're going to make it worse"

Looking up into Angel's caring brown eyes, she smiled.

"Its not easy you know, the more you press down on it, the more it hurts."

Taking the bandage from her hand, he sat down and pulled her into his lap, his hands gently fixing the bandage into place.

When he had finished, he smiled down at her, in a way which made Buffy want to kiss him till the end of time.

Lifting her face to his, she tenderly kissed him before pulling back.

"My mother?"

Grinning at her, he kissed the top of her head.

"She is asleep at home, with the safe knowledge that you stayed at Willow's house to study."

"I'm sorry, Angel, I must have freaked you out last night, I mean I was lying, with my arm cut to pieces on the floor next to Shana's grave"

Holding her closer, he kissed the top of her head again before frowning.

"I wasn't freaked out. I was afraid. Very afraid, when I smelled the blood and followed the scent to the cemetery, I thought you had been attacked. I thought you were dead until I heard your heartbeat. I know things seem bad now, I know I can never take you into the sun or have children with you but things are going to get better I can feel it"

"I want to be with you forever"

"We have forever"

Smiling, he picked her up again and carried her back through to the bedroom. Laying her on the bed, he gently lowered her under the covers and held her tightly.

He was going to make this work; he had to find a way to make Buffy happy.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"The Girl Will Die"

"If the girl dies, the demon with the soul will be lost forever"

Sister Oracle looked at her brother in horror before looking back up into the light of the powers that be.

"To save the world she will die and the demon with the soul will give his life also and both will return as human"

"Both of them human?"

Brother Oracle gasped as he realised what had happened.

"The Shanshu Prophecy has already been fulfilled. When the demon with the soul killed the boy, Keenan, his name was, he not only protected his love but protected many others who were destined to die at his hand. It was said in the old scripts that a boy would cause the next apocalypse. It said that the son of an all powerful demon would die at his hand, and the demon would destroy the world in his grief, sparing no-one and making all of humanity suffer for the loss of his son's life. The boy was Keenan and by killing him, the demon with the soul played a major part in preventing the next apocalypse. His reward is to become human. He will live as a mortal and will be with his love for eternity."

Sister Oracle laughed.

"This is perfect. Do the lovers know?"

"No, they can't know, they might end their lives to quicken the Shanshu prophecy's reward but the girl Buffy has to die. The vampire will lose his life as when a vampire experiences great pain, they explode into ashes. They will meet again in the white dimension before we go and collect them and bring them home, to earth."

The oracles prepared for what would be Angel's final weeks as a vampire with a soul. They needed Buffy to save the world but the powers that be had revealed something else.

The Master had been awoken once again. The master would murder Buffy by drowning her again. He would drown her and the demon with the soul would attempt to save her but would fail.

The forbidden lovers lay in bed together, with no idea that the greatest pain and loss but great reward was coming to them in such a short time. The girl had wished that they could be a normal couple, she had no idea to how close her wish was to coming true.


	3. Hopelessly in love

**Warriors and Rewards – Chapter 3 – Hopelessly in love **

"Buffy!"

Angel felt as though his vocal chords were going to tear apart as he roared her name as loud as he could.

Standing at the edge of the gaping hole in the centre of the library, stood the girl he loved. She turned and looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, her heart breaking at the pain and fear in his eyes.

"Don't. Please, just stop, there must be another way"

"Its open, I have to stop this, I have to die, Angel. If I don't the master will return and others like him, who I have to banish to hell, because if they get free, people will suffer and die and its my duty to prevent that from happening."

His hand gently held her cheek, his body felt numb as he looked at the blonde, green-eyed beauty before him.

To save the world, Buffy Summers, the girl he loved more than anything and would give his life in a heartbeat to save, had to die, to protect the world, which didn't even know or care about her or the sacrifices she had to make anyway. Most of the people out there didn't know that the Hellmouth, other worlds, demons or vampires existed, they live in a dream world, were monsters don't exist but sometimes on the news a vicious killing, a man drained of his blood or part of a body which had been ripped apart as though by an animal would make them wonder, whether monsters really did hide under there beds at night, maybe sometimes coming out to get them. No matter what he had done in the past, he had tried so hard to earn his redemption and the one person who had made him keep fighting was going to leave him.

There was nothing he could do; if he intervened the world would crumble and break under the pressure of the Hellmouth and of the evil dimensions that came with it as it rose from beneath the world.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pressed his forehead to hers, desperately trying to hold the emotions within him at bay.

"Angel, I have to jump now, if I don't it will be too late"

Shaking his head at her, he smiled painfully.

"We do this together"

Frowning, Buffy looked up into Angel's determined tear filled eyes.

"No, this is my responsibility not yours, I'm the slayer, I'm doing this to protect you, so you can live!"

Tears were falling down her face, she had lost the calm control she had a few minutes ago.

"Buffy, without you, I don't see a reason to live anymore. You are my life and I can't live in a world without you in it."

Looking into his face, Buffy realised there was nothing she could do to stop him, he would jump after her anyway.

Pulling his lips to hers, she tried to convey every emotion she was feeling. Pain, despair, love, hatred for the evil that was to end there lives and their time together.

Angel's shoulders began to shake and he let out a sob against her lips. Pulling him backwards towards the hole in the floor, her lips still firmly pressed to his, she opened her eyes and whimpered once but calming again as his arms tightened protectively around her, she pulling back momentarily for much needed air and buried her face into his chest, before pulling them both back into the fiery entrance to the Hellmouth.

The Oracles watched the forbidden lovers.

Sister Oracle smiled as she watched them fall backwards into Hell, neither of them had any idea of what was to come, the joy of their future as humans together.

"Well, that didn't go exactly to plan, the powers that be said he would experience great pain and explode into ashes, not jump with her." Frowning when he received no response from his sister, he shook his head at the dreamy look on her face.

"You are becoming something of a hopeless romantic, Sister. They are lesser beings; really we should not care what happens to them"

Looking at her Brother she smiled as she thought back on the moments she had witnessed between the pair.

"They are a fine pair. Destined to be with each other, but stopped in so many ways, the vampire and the slayer, the perfect love story. The love they share, is stronger than anything and the care and sacrifices they are prepared to make, to help the other, makes them equals to even us"

"I believe the universe is like a game of chess. The powers that be are the kings and queens. We are the bishops and vampires, Demons and humans are the pawns. The other pieces are of a select few individuals."

"I think it is time we speak to the slayer and her vampire, don't you agree?"

Smiling, Brother Oracle looked at his sister.

"The time is perfect"

Raising her hand, the couple spun into view in front of them. Both still clinging to each other, Buffy's face still buried in his neck.

"Step forward, warriors of the powers that be."

Turning towards the Oracles, Buffy shook slightly, her hand tightly gripping Angel's.

"You saved the world Slayer, your reward is life. You will return to Earth shortly but you vampire, are a different matter.

You fulfilled the Shanshu Prophecy, you played a major part in an apocalypse, you prevented it and your reward is humanity"

Frowning Angel stepped forward.

"I haven't prevented an apocalypse, not as far as I remember"

Sister Oracle smiled shaking her head at him.

"But you did. The boy Keenan was destined to murder the son of the lead demon at Wolfram and Hart. The demon fathers rage at his son's death and the reason for it would have led to him destroying the world. You killed Keenan preventing the worlds doom and saving humanity from a stupid little boy who thought he could be the boss of anyone"

Buffy tried to process what she had learned.

She got to live.

Angel had prevented an apocalypse by killing Keenan.

Angel and she got to return to Earth together.

Angel would be human.

Looking at him, his face showed nothing but shock but deep inside she knew he was as ecstatic as she was.

"You will keep your strength and strong sense of vampire smell; the powers believe this is a useful aspect for which you can aid the slayer with in preventing harm to the world. You have gained your redemption, leave this place with a heart and soul unburdened by guilt and suffering. Now go and enjoy your life as a mortal man and a savoir of the world"

Smiling at the Oracles and pulling Buffy closer to him, he laughed as in a flash of white light; they were both standing in the library.

Angel felt strange; it had been so long since he had been human.

A small hand laid itself on his chest.

Looking into her eyes, he smiled as hers filled with tears.

"Your heart, I can feel your heart beating"

Grinning, he pulled her lips to his, her whole body screaming as she felt Angel wrap his arms tighter around her. Smiling against his lips she realised something.

She had always wished she could have a normal boyfriend. And yes Angel was still over 200 years older but still, he was human and he looked no older than 25.

In one night she had thought she had lost everything but she had gained more than she had ever dreamed she would get.

Authors Note – Sorry for not updating in the last few weeks. I have been so busy, but I will hopefully write one or maybe even 2 chapters to this story in the next week.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Please Review x

Huggins and Love,

Little Glass Heart


	4. Loose Ends

**Warriors and Rewards – Chapter 4 **

**Author's Note**

**Hiya Guys, **

**I am gonna finish the story on this chapter. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, story alerted and listed this Fic as a favourite story. **

**I have got some cool Idea's for some future Fic's and of course, I will be updating I Need You as soon as possible either later tonight or tomorrow x**

**Hope you enjoyed this Fanfic x**

**Enjoy this chapter x**

**Huggins and Love, **

**Little Glass Heart x**

Since the opening of the Hellmouth Sunnydale High had been closed as the Library needed to be rebuilt and the corridors surrounding it being repaired from the extensive damage caused by the Hellmouth.

The people of Sunnydale still refused to believe in the Hellmouth's existence, many believing that an earthquake had occurred and that had been the cause of the damage to the school and surrounding cemeteries.

Buffy had had one of the best weeks of her life.

She and Angel were closer than ever, Giles and the others had been nervous at first, in case Angel became a vampire again and it was another trick to destroy Buffy but it wasn't, the Oracles would not lie.

The Shanshu prophecy had been fulfilled; Angel had played a part in preventing an apocalypse and had been rewarded with humanity. There was nothing in Giles's books to say that there was any catch to the prize. Angel was human and unless he was bitten again, he would never revert back to Angelus again.

Angel had found it strange being human again after all this time but he had adjusted well. He and Buffy spent nearly all there time together, whether it be on the beach or sitting on the couch eating chocolate ice cream. He had never known that 20th century food could taste so god but it was amazing.

In his day, fries, chocolate, Chinese food or Indian food had not existed. As he and his family had been poor and everyday they would eat pottage, it was a stew which had vegetables in and if his father had done well at work that day, it would contain meat or fish. Ice Cream had existed but only the rich had the money to preserve it.

Life was so different now.

People no longer had to worry about starving, the government would give you money whereas then if you died the rich didn't care, it was more filth off the streets.

Angel stood in a crowded street of LA, the sun blazing down on his face as he watched the people going about there daily business, none of them knew what danger lurked in the shadows here but it did. It had been a long time since he had been able to call himself one of them; it had been over 200 years and in his opinion far to long.

The people walking around him, many oblivious to the fact that their world had nearly been destroyed on many occasions and the person who had saved them had been his girl, the slayer.

Angel remembered when people always used to comment on their relationship. The vampire and the vampire slayer, a forbidden partnership but now he was human, nothing stood in the way of their love.

A few hours later he was back in Sunnydale and found himself walking to the one place he thought he would never go to again.

The warehouse looked no different since the last time he had been there. The only difference about this place was that he knew when he walked inside; Keenan would not be sneering at him from the middle of the room.

Opening the metal door, he strode in, all of Keenan's friends were there, some of them spaced out on drugs but one boy caught his eye.

Walking towards him, he smiled.

"Hey kid. You shouldn't be here"

Levi froze as the familiar voice registered in his mind.

"Neither should you"

"Come on"

Levi signed and followed him as Angel led them back to the door, before turning back to him.

"Go outside, I need to talk to this lot"

"Ok Angel, just don't do anything stupid"

Levi walked out and sat on an old tire. He knew he was worrying everyone by hanging out at the warehouse but they were his friends. Errol hadn't been the same since Shana died. He had been miserable and acted like it was the end of the world but she was just a girl, there were plenty more out there.

(Back inside the Warehouse)

"Hey Guys"

The men in the room turned to look at the dark haired man. He looked like he could be a cop with his white shirt and black suit.

"I want all of you out of here by tomorrow"

One man, a blonde haired boy stood up.

"Who do you think you are, telling us what to do eh?"

"My name is Angel and I think we have met. You were the boy outside Buffy's house, with the dog"

The boy's eyes widened as the man's face clicked in his memory. Angel, the man Keenan had told them would destroy the gang and the only person to ever survive an attack off Bruno and even kill the dog.

"What did you do to Keenan? He never came back after we left"

Angel scowled.

"Did you really think I would let him live, after what he did to Buffy"

"You killed him, why hasn't he been found then?"

"Because I buried his corpse where it is probably never gonna be found"

The boy snarled as he realised that this man had been his best friend's killer. Lunging forward, he gasped when Angel's hand wrapped itself around his throat.

"You're not gone by morning. You'll end up like Keenan, you understanding me now?"

"You can't tell me what to do"

Raising an eyebrow, Angel smirked.

"I just did cause believe I have killed before and I won't think twice about doing it again"

Letting go of his neck so he fell to the floor, Angel turned and left the warehouse.

Levi looked up as Angel walked through the door.

"Come on K id, I'm taking you home"

"You can't, if Errol knows where I've been, I'm dead."

"I'll drop you at the end of the road then, OK?"

"Fine"

They had been driving for a few minutes when Levi broke the silence.

"So, what did you say to them?"

Looking at him, Angel frowned slightly.

"I told them to leave town or I'd kill them. I suggest you don't go with them"

"But there're my friends"

"No, there're not, they use you ok? They make you carry drugs and knives because if you get stopped the police are less likely to search you"

"You don't know that"

"Yes I do, because they used Buffy and Shana in the same way"

Levi frowned as he thought about his brother's dead girlfriend.

"Errol didn't take her death well"

Angel looked at the boy for a moment before putting his eyes back on the road.

"Well he obviously wouldn't, she was the girl he loved"

Levi nodded and for the rest of the journey both stayed silent.

Entering the Mansion twenty minutes later, Angel looked around.

Buffy wasn't here, her bag was on the floor so he knew she must have been here.

Where was she?

Then he suddenly had a feeling as to be she had gone.

Flipping his phone open, his calendar coming up

Thursday 12th June 1997.

It was the 5 month anniversary of Shana's death.

Walking back out of the house Angel headed to were Buffy would be, the cemetery were Shana had been buried.

Buffy sat next to Shana's grave.

She had been sitting there in the cold for the past hour.

She was shivering but she didn't care, the thought of Shana, always being alone made her feel worse

Buffy had not known that this cemetery and the church in the centre was Shana's father's parish.

Shana's family had all been devastated by her death. They may have acted like they didn't care about her but they did, it only took losing her for them to realise how much they loved her.

She felt a presence behind her and she didn't even have to turn to know it was Angel.

"Buffy, are you ok?"

She looked back at him, her deep green eyes sparkling with tears.

"Oh Buffy"

Taking her hand, he pulled her to her feet and then wrapped his arms around her, her face buried in his chest.

Her skin was ice cold and she shook as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Buffy, you're freezing. You can't keep doing this. You're going to make yourself ill"

Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she looked up at him.

"If I don't stay with her, she'll be alone. Its not nice being alone"

Holding her face in his hands, Angel shook his head sadly.

"She will never be alone. She was, before you met her. Her family abandoned her but you, you were there, you were her true friend and yes, she died but she will always be with you, and if she is always with you, how can she be alone."

Hugging him tighter, she smiled into his chest before pulling away.

Grabbing his face, she pulled his lips to hers.

A couple of minutes later, they pulled apart.

Her lips a mere inch from his, Buffy smiled.

"I love you"

Angel grinned at her.

"I love you more than anything"

Both of them smiled at each other and kissed each other again.

Only pulling apart when the rain began to fall, both of them hand in hand ran back to Angel's car and drove off to begin their happy future.


End file.
